Prof. Ahmed El-Kased, President of Menoufia University, honored the student teams that secured the top positions in the Hult Prize competition at the University level. The Replast Build team won first place, followed by Team CGM in second place, and Team Reverta in third. The recognition came in appreciation of their excellence, entrepreneurial innovation, and ability to present creative solutions aligned with sustainable development goals.
A total of 22 teams from various University faculties presented their projects before a judging panel representing the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and the Digital Egypt Creativity Center.
The ceremony was attended by Prof. Sobhy Sharaf, Vice President for Community Service and Environmental Development; Prof. Mostafa Shehata, International Relations Coordinator; and members of the judging panel, including Dr. Basma Abdel Aziz, Entrepreneurship Consultant at the Ministry of Communications; Dr. Reem Khattab, Entrepreneurship Supervisor; and Dr. Hager Tarek, Sustainable Development Researcher at the National Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development, the training arm of the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development.
The judging committee announced that Replast Build secured first place for its project focused on recycling single-use plastic waste—such as plastic bags and bottles—into high-value, recyclable construction materials, including building bricks and decorative home panels.
Team CGM, which came in second place, developed a device for directly measuring blood glucose levels without needles, pricking, or skin penetration, using light-based technology. The device, currently under development, is integrated with a mobile application that records readings in organized monthly or annual charts. It also features an AI component that analyzes patient data and interactive responses to provide tailored advice, real-time alerts in cases of sudden glucose spikes, and lifestyle improvement recommendations.
Team Reverta, which placed third, introduced the concept of an Autonomous Surface Vessel (ASV) designed in a catamaran configuration to address plastic pollution and the spread of water hyacinth in rivers and ports. The robot operates through an environmentally friendly electric propulsion system powered by solar energy and utilizes artificial intelligence algorithms for route planning and waste classification.
In his address to students, the University President affirmed that identifying and supporting talented innovators is a strategic priority aligned with the University’s strategy and the National Higher Education Strategy, as well as the State’s vision under the leadership of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to build a generation capable of innovation and regional and international competitiveness.
He highlighted the establishment of the University’s Talent Discovery and Support Unit as a key executive mechanism to nurture gifted and innovative students, monitor promising talents, provide specialized training and mentorship programs, and incubate creative ideas to transform them into practical projects—reinforcing the University’s role as a driver of innovation and sustainable development in line with Egypt Vision 2030.
Prof. El-Kased explained that the Hult Prize is one of the world’s largest competitions in social entrepreneurship, encouraging university students to develop sustainable solutions to pressing societal challenges. The competition progresses through multiple stages, beginning with university-level qualifiers, followed by regional and international rounds, alongside intensive training and mentorship programs leading to the global finals.
He also noted the University’s continued participation in the competition and its previous global achievements, highlighting that Team EcoPack won second place at the international Hult Prize finals in London last year and received a fully funded master’s scholarship at Hult International Business School in recognition of their innovation—an opportunity that enhanced their academic and professional experience internationally.
The Vice President for Community Service and Environmental Development emphasized that the students’ success reflects the University’s effective integration of academic learning with community needs. He pointed out that the “Entelaka” initiative serves as a genuine platform for discovering talent, supporting innovative ideas, and transforming them into development-oriented projects, reinforcing the University’s role as a knowledge-producing institution actively contributing to society.
The University’s Talent Discovery and Support Office organized an intensive training camp for participants in the Hult Prize competition and supervised the final ceremony. Dr. Mohamed El-Sobky, Office Coordinator, affirmed full support for outstanding projects and stressed the importance of further developing ideas to become strong contenders in future entrepreneurship and innovation competitions.
It is worth noting that the Hult Prize is one of the largest global competitions in social entrepreneurship, attracting thousands of university teams worldwide each year to compete with innovative, sustainable ideas aimed at improving quality of life. The competition includes internal university qualifiers, followed by regional and international stages, as well as intensive mentoring programs to refine business models before the global finals, where top teams compete for the title and seed funding to transform their ideas into viable ventures.